Tractor-belt.



H. McGUCKlN.

TRACTOR BELT. APPLICATION HLED mm. 21. 1917.

Patented Oct. 30, 1917,

WITNESS IIVVENTOR C/ar/r M raq, M GaJ/r/fl.

A TTORNEY HUGH MQGUGKIN, or sYnaoUsn; NEW YORK.

TRACTOR-BELT.

Specification ofLetters' Patent.

Patentedoot. sofiei 7.

Application aieemarch 27, 191a -Seria1-No.'157,797.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH McGUcmN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and 5 State of New York, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements inv Tractor- Belts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tractors, and has for its object to provide what is commonly known as a, caterpillar tractor,- designed especially for- .use in con --that a'second wheel of the'kind may be disnection with any ki'n'def selfpropelled fivehicles, to enable said vehicles to travel over soflg marshy or unbroken roads, asiwell as 'orer plowed fields. ditches and the like. A

' particular object is to provide a pair of endless tractor: belts comprising a plurality. of novel and simple sections hinged or otherzo-wise-joined together, and 'capableof travelingwover'and around the opposite driving wheels of the vehicle, each of said sections having: its own rail unit,'which interfits with adjacent units, for providing. an endless trackupon which the wheelsroll, andhaving relatively broad tread members, which contact with theearth orroadway, thus afl-fording-a broad and firmself-sustaining track tor thedrivingand driven wheels of L thevehicle to travel upon. A further object istovprovide a spring connection or tie for the adjocent tread members to give suitable *flexibilityto the-Whole-belt, as well as to iafiord simple: and strongmeans for connect- 8o ihgzthe said'sectionsl And a-further' object is to'lprovide means-for preventing'undue strain. upon the portions ofthe belts extendtmz:betweenthe driving and driven wheels;

I attain these objects by the means set 40 (forth v in the detailed description which i follows'andas illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which --;Fig.'.-1'=is a broken 'side elevation of amotot truck and one of my tractor belts. Fig. 1'2'i8 a'broken plan viewofthe'traotor belt. Fig.3 is'a side'elevation of one of the units of thbeltz Fig. e isan end viewof one of the units. Fig 5 is atop planview of one of: the units or sections ofthe belt. Fig. 6 is fioda-verticalicross-section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1Z"'Fig.- 7 is a'sectioiial view of a modizfi fi belt construction. Fig. Sis'aside view ()fifim of the units of the modified belts Fig. Qwisua broken elevation oi?- a" modified form of belt, and Fig. 10 is a side elevation of one of the modified units.

In the drawing, '2 representsa partof the frame ofa motor truck-or like vehicle, and 3 represents one of the driving wheels which is journaled on the shaft 4. The wheels 3 may be driven by a chain 5, the latter traveling over sprockets 6 and 7. The sprocket 6 is mounted upon a shaft 8, which maybe driven by anengine or other suitable power (not shown). .I-have shown but one of the-driving wheels 3, but it is understood posed at the opposite side of thesprocket '6. The-wheels 3 are employed for'supporting the tractor belts-as'well as the 'vehiclefand being rotated-by whatevenpower is em- ,ployed for driving the vehicle, the said wheels frictionelly' engage the inner surfaces of thecaterpillaribelts and rollonthe said belts as tracks;- The wheels 3 may bedisposed any suitable distance-apart. Fig. 1

shows part of the-construction and arragngement of but one side of the vehicle.

My caterpillar tractor is in the form of one or more endless belts, which will now be described in- 'detail.

The tractor belts comprise a numberof relatively narrow sections or units "each con-' sisting ofa transversely disposed substantially fiat tread'member orslat- 9.- The adjacent parts 9 .are. secured together, in the preferred form, by aflat piece 'orstrip of springsteel or other suitable flexible material 10. The-springs 1'0 preferably overlap the'joints between the'tread members and are held in place and secured to the-slats 9 by. means of cleats 11 andsrivets 11.. The springs 10 are disposed-near the opposite ends of the members: 9 so as to leave a'clear space extending throughout the longitudinah center of the belt. The treads?) may be made out of wood, iron or. steel. Upon each of the tr'ead"members -9 is rigidly mounted a rail'unit preferably mtde of maileable casting consisting ofan angular -u riglht web'lB, having'a flange base l2',

. maybe set in a recess orgroove 9' in the top side of the tread men1ber.- The webs 12 are so positioned onthe tread members that the opposite pointed ends of .theiwsbs overlap the adjaceirt'webs' (see'zFigs land 2), -and-tl1e=said webs are set at an angle to the la teral' edges of the belt, as'tshown,

its

Between the top and the bottom edges or" the Webs 12, I provide oppositely lacing lateral hinges ll, which are disposed parallel to the treads 9. The flanges let project for enough on each side to overlap the adjacent Webs when the units are assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and serve to prevent the points of the adjacent Webs from getting out of line or level with the central Web when the belt is traveling over rocks or other uneven portions of the road. The top edge of each Web 12 constitutes the track or hearing for the wheels 3, and the traclr 15 is preferably integral with the Web and the flanges 14, as best seen in Fig. The tracks 15 are preferably angular in side elevation and come to a point at each end so as to permit the connected units to curl or coil around the Wheels 3, the same as the webs 12 (see Figs 1 and 8).

The Wheels 3 are preferably pro "ided peripheral grooves 16 which receive and frictionally engage the tracks 15, end side flanges which form the said grooves also frietionally engage the flanges 14- {se Fig. 6). By this construction the wheels are not liable to become detached from belt While the vehicle is in operation. mach Web 12 has a slot 17 and also a pin 18 see Fig. 3) and the slot 18 of one vveb is so arranged that the pin 13' or the adjacent Web pierces and plays in the said slot, and in this Way, according to the length of the slots 18, the sections 9 of the belt may be curled around a larger or smaller Wheel (3) Without cramping or straining the belt. The angularity of the pointed ends of the Web also tend to limit the curling movement of the sections of the belt. The pins and slots referred to also tend to prevent the sections from pulling apart under the strain of operatin over rough ground.

The whee s 3 are spaced a considerable distance apart and there is a relatively long stretch or portion of the belt in contact with the earth, which is liable to become strained or injured when the vehicle is trave ng over rocks or other rough portions of the road. In order to protect this of the belt, I provide an idler Wheel 19 for each belt, which is Il'lOlll'lUJfl upon a so 20 supported by the frame 2. The idlers 19 are normally spsccd from the track units 15 as long as the road or hearing for the belt is level and smooth. But soon as the road becomes rough. the belts will be forced upwardly against the idlers shown by dotted line in Fig. 1), and the latte. will prevent undue straining of the said portions of the belts.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a modified form of the tractor belt, which consists of number of units or sections each omprising a vertically disposed Web having pointed ends 22. The tops of the vvebs en rprise horizontal laterally projecting shoulders 23 and upturned flanges 23 for providing a, longitudinal groove or trough 2%, in Which the Wheel 3 having a Flat periphery rolls. The Webs have base flanges which are seated in corresponding recesses formed in the top surface of treads 26, which are similar to the treads 9. lhe treads 26 may be resiliently secured together by springs 10. The pointed ends 22 of the adjacent Webs engage the shoulders 23 whenever the belt is straightened out; (as shown in Fig. 7), and serve to hold all or the interfitting and interlocking" units in the same plane (see horizontal portion of the belt in Fig. 1).

The springs 10-10 may be continuous strips, or simply plates broad enough to safely overlap the joints between the treads 9 and 26.

in Figs. 9 and 10 is shown still another modification of the tractor belt, which cornprises a number of interfitting and interlocking sections 27. Each section 2? consists of s narrow Web 23 or" keystone shape in side elevation, its broad base edge being secured to a flexible belt or shoe 29. ere preferably disposed in line with each other on the shoe 29, and when they are curved around the Wheel, as 3", the adjacent vertical edges meet, as best seen at 28' in 9. At the opposite sides near the The Webs 28 the belt is straightened out and thus pro these engage the underside of an integral part 33 vvhen the belt is straightened out, When the belt is curved around the wheel, the arms 31 move away from the shoulders 33, and engage an angular pr-ojecting port 34, which is disposed nearthe bottom of the adjacent Webs-28. By the modified construction referred to, n reletivcly light but strong and simpletractor belt is provided.

l leving thus described my invention, what clnini as new and desire to secure by Le"- Patent, is-

l. A tractor belt including interlocking sections having tread portions extending trsnsversely, flexible means for connecting the adjacent sections, an upright Web mounted upon each tread portion having a slot and n pin for interlocking With adjacent Webs, and an angular rail portion upon each Web oriented to support the Wheels of a vehicle.

2, A tractor belt. comprising overlap ing and interlocking units, each unit including o transversely disposed tread, a Web mounton said trend having pointed ends extending beyond the lateral edges of said tread, oppositely disposed flanges carried by said Web and engaged by said pointed ends of the adjacent webs, and angular track portions disposed above the said flanges.

3. A tractor belt comprising interlocking units, each unit including a transversely disposed tread. a web mounted on said tread having pointed ends extending beyond the lateral edges of said tread, oppositely disposed flanges carried by said web adapted to be engaged by said pointed ends, angular track portions disposed above said flanges, said track portion of one unit adapted to overlap the track portions of the adjacent units, and means for flexibly joining said units together.

4. A tractor belt including a plurality of interlocking units having tread portions extending transversely, springs for connecting said treads together, an upright web mounted on each tread portion having a slot and a pin for interlocking with two adjacent webs, and a track portion surmounting each web adapted to support grooved wheels of a vehicle.

5. A tractor belt comprising a plurality of units flexibly joined together to form an endless belt, each unit consisting of atread, a web, and a track portion for engaging and supporting the wheels of a vehicle, each web having a slot and a pin for interlocking with adjacent webs disposed on each side thereof, and each Web having laterally projecting flanges engaged by the opposite ends of the adjacent webs, and flexible parts for connecting said treads together.

6. A tractor belt comprising a plurality of units, each unit consisting of a tread, a

web disposed diagonally across the top of each tread, each web supporting an angular track portion and having laterally projecting flanges disposed between the web and said track portion, each web having an oblique slot and a pin carried by each web adapted to engage a slot in the adjacent web for limiting the flexing of the belt when encircling a Wheel and for preventing the separation of said units.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HUGH MCGUGKIN. 

